As for this collectivism, though, I don’t go for it. There is no way to know another’s utility function, no way to compare utility functions among people, etc. other than subjectively.
That’s very contestable. It has frequently argued here that preferences can be inferred from behaviour; it’s also been argued that introspection (if that is what you mean by “subjectively”) is not a reliable guide to motivation.
This is the whole demonstrated preference thing. I don’t buy it myself, but that’s a debate for another time. What I mean by subjectively is that I will value one person’s life more than another person’s life, or I could think that I want that $1,000,000 more than a rich person wants it, but that’s just all in my head. To compare utility functions and work from demonstrated preference usually—not always—is a precursor to some kind of authoritarian scheme. I can’t say there is anything like that coming, but it does set off some alarm bells. Anyway, this is not something I can substantiate right now.
That’s very contestable. It has frequently argued here that preferences can be inferred from behaviour; it’s also been argued that introspection (if that is what you mean by “subjectively”) is not a reliable guide to motivation.
This is the whole demonstrated preference thing. I don’t buy it myself, but that’s a debate for another time. What I mean by subjectively is that I will value one person’s life more than another person’s life, or I could think that I want that $1,000,000 more than a rich person wants it, but that’s just all in my head. To compare utility functions and work from demonstrated preference usually—not always—is a precursor to some kind of authoritarian scheme. I can’t say there is anything like that coming, but it does set off some alarm bells. Anyway, this is not something I can substantiate right now.